by Steven Doyle
The big buzz around Dallas today is the reveal for the new location of the next Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in the Cedars area of Dallas, just south of downtown Dallas. This area continues to grow with many new condos opening very soon. The expansion of Alamo in the DFW area is just part of at least five locations that will dot the movie-going landscape.
The eight-screen theater, and Glass Half Full Taproom, will be owned and operated by Two is One, One is None LLC, the DFW franchise partner of the Alamo Drafthouse that also owns the Alamo in Richardson. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema will become a part of the South Side Lamar District, joining the NYLO Hotel, SODA bar, The Cedars Social, Gilley’s, Full Circle Tavern, Southside Ballroom, Terrace Bistro, Opening Bell Coffee, Poor David’s Pub and Bill’s Records.
The theater will open mid-2015 at the Southwest corner of South Lamar and Cadiz Streets in Dallas – halfway between the new Omni Dallas and the award-winning South Side on Lamar.
“We’ve had our eye on a South Lamar location since entering the North Texas market. Everything about downtown and South Dallas dovetails perfectly with the Alamo brand. The convergence of Chef-driven restaurants, food trucks, craft breweries, the Arts District, and homegrown/local retail are all complimentary characteristics of Alamo culture and lifestyle. Another exciting aspect is the partnerships we can form with local entrepreneurs. In Richardson, we’re already partnering with local businesses like Dude, Sweet Chocolate, Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters and various breweries; Community, Deep Ellum, Four Corners and Peticolas to name a few. Now we can expand these relationships and form new ones with a location in the heart of Dallas,” said Bill DiGaetano, Alamo Drafthouse DFW Owner.
Alamo Drafthouse provides a unique combination of theater and restaurant, showing first-run movies, independent films and special programming events with an extensive menu made from scratch in a state-of-the-art culinary kitchen. Customers order food and drinks from servers who quietly attend to them throughout the movie.
Customers are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy the pre-show entertainment. Instead of a barrage of advertising, the Alamo shows a curated collection of rare and humorous clips. “We’re proud of the fact that we don’t show any advertising,” Tim League said. “People don’t want to pay for a movie and then be bombarded with 20 minutes or more of shampoo commercials. If you don’t like the movie, we strive to produce a pre-show good enough to still make for a great experience.”
Alamo Drafthouse protects the theater experience with a zero-tolerance policy for people who disrupt the film with talking or texting. Alamo Drafthouse was featured on global news for a viral “Don’t Talk” PSA that used a humorously misguided voicemail from an actual patron who was ejected for using her phone during the film.
